You said:
In common parlance that means "wasting money". There's no twist in saying that.
I really don't understand your motives here. You're expressing a grudge against NASA, institutions in general, scientists in general, for being gullible, for being egotistical pseudo-intellectuals, etc.
Considering your own career as a chemist, it seems to be a contradiction to your own intellectual life to attack science in this way.
I am not against science, I enjoy to see the new finding
I don't have a grudge against NASA they have done a great job in the past, in space exploration helped space communication. There are other areas on this earth that deserve more attention , I understand each agency wants to survive , so they propose exiting programs , Do you thing a project drilling a hole in the earth will bring much public interest ? But going to Mars or to some of the Saturn moons , that really rises enthusiasm. 1968 Nixon declared war on cancer , I am not sure we have not gain much ground , what about aging , Alzheimer.
Science is not the problem in my thinking , what bothers me ho people use science to promote their objective .